Flagstaff gets sneak preview before film opens in theaters in monthly cinema series

The Sedona International Film Festival is proud to present the Flagstaff premiere of “In Search of Fellini” — starring Maria Bello, Ksenia Solo and Mary Lynn Rajskub — on Wednesday, Sept. 13 as part of the festival’s monthly Flagstaff Cinema Series. There will be one screening of the film at 7:00 p.m. at Harkins Flagstaff 16 Theatres.

Flagstaff audiences get to see “In Search of Fellini” before it hits theatres in New York and Los Angeles in this special one-night-only sneak preview event!

A sheltered, small-town Ohio girl — who loves movies but dislikes reality — discovers hope in the delightfully bizarre films of Federico Fellini, and sets off on a strange, beautiful journey across Italy to find him. Along the way she discovers far more than she ever expected.

“In Search of Fellini” is a coming-of-age drama which has been described as a “welcome to the universe” story. The cinematography is dazzling!

“In Search of Fellini” was inspired by the true life events of Nancy Cartwright (the voice of Bart Simpson). Nancy’s own personal journey prior to her nearly 30 year run as the voice of Bart Simpson began as a very young naďve woman’s quest to find Federico Fellini after she saw “La Strada” in a local theatre. She immediately saw herself in Gelsomina. Originally Nancy — knowing she wanted to share her unique story — had performed it as a one woman show then worked with a co-writer, Peter Kjenaas, to adapt it to a screenplay. Taron Lexton was tapped to direct.

“ ‘In Search of Fellini’ has been a truly strange and wonderful project. I've always had a deep love for Italy having spent time there growing up, and always dreamed of finding an excuse to film there,” said director Taron Lexton.

“In 2014, when Nancy Cartwright sat me down over coffee and relayed her extraordinary true experiences pursuing Federico Fellini in her youth — which inspired her screenplay — I was electrified. Like most people I had seen a few of Fellini's films, but I seized this opportunity to watch every single one of them. I sought out every book, documentary, and personal friend of Fellini that I could find. I began to discover the complex and fascinating world of Fellini himself, and saw how strikingly it intertwined with Nancy's own story,” Lexton continued.

“The film grew, steeped in authenticity and symbolism, a dreamscape of real Italian locations, true stories, fantasies and Fellini’s own films and pathos. It is a love letter to Italy, an homage to Fellini and an exploration of Nancy’s beautiful true story. At its core, it’s simply a story about growing up and about the thrilling and sometimes terrifying few inches between childhood and adulthood,” added Lexton.

A representative from the NAU Philosophy Department and Philosophy in the Public Interest will lead a discussion following the film screening.

“In Search of Fellini” will be shown at Harkins Flagstaff 16 Theatres on Wednesday, Sept. 13 at 7:00 p.m. Tickets are $12, or $9 for Film Festival members ($8 for full-time students), and will be available starting at 6:00 p.m. that day in the Harkins lobby. Tickets can be purchased in advance by calling 928-282-1177 or online at the link below.